Cade's Last Day of Preschool

Needless to say, it's been a busy, crazy week already, but it's all about to come to an end. Tomorrow is the last day of school (for students), and now that my room is nearly completely packed up, things are easing up a bit. Still have stuff to do, but it's not overwhelming anymore.

Cade's last day of school was on Friday, though. We were going to have to pay tuition for the entire month of June to send him this week, so we just opted out, and he's been coming to school with us instead. The collage above is him getting off the school bus on his first day of school and then his last day of school. That kid has grown in so many ways this year!

Looking back on those pictures makes me feel like I sent my baby to preschool last fall. Maybe it's the bright blond hair and the short haircut. Maybe it's the fact that those shorts were so long on him! He just looks like such a little boy.

He did so well in preschool this year. I really can't get over it. After those first couple of tough weeks, he settled right in and most days he was happy, if not excited, to go to school.

He learned to read better than I ever would have imagined this year, and he does it ALL THE TIME. He's moved on from the early reading books and is not afraid of a challenge--whether it be a chapter book or anything else he can get his hands on. Not everything comes out quite right, but I appreciate his willingness to try, and he never minds being corrected, either.

Last week, I got a call from his teacher. She was very worried about the fact that Cade was going to be leaving the school early (the Korean school year begins in February or March). She wasn't concerned about what he didn't know, though. I think she was really concerned about how much she'd miss out on his help. She made it clear that Cade is the most advanced in his class, that he has no problem comprehending new concepts, and that most of the time he helps the other kids when they are struggling with something new.

I'm pretty sure that Cade was excited about his last day of school. He was not particularly excited about having his pictures taken, though. And things got progressively worse as we went. The above picture is how it ended, but it didn't take him long to get over it.

I can't believe that a year from now we'll be going to this boy's Kindergarten graduation! Now I just have to figure out how I'm going to get pictures of the girl on her last day of school tomorrow!

Cade's First Week

Cade has had three successful days of school so far. On Monday morning, the boy walked straight onto that bus like he'd done it 100 times before. It had barely pulled up, and he was sitting in his seat, so short that I couldn't even take his picture. Of course, part of me was happy that he was so willing and so excited, but it killed me at the same time. I couldn't even take his picture.

There were no phone calls home that day. His teacher said he was very nice and well-behaved. And then she listed all of the supplies he needed. Really? We just called and asked for this list and the woman said we didn't need anything. Now, we have a couple of hours to find everything? Chock it up to another miscommunication.

He arrived home in one piece and with a smile on his face! The bus was about ten minutes late which sent me into a minor panic. Had I missed him? What happens if I miss the bus? Where does he end up?! You know, typical "mom worry." And then, the bus rounded the corner. This time, I was ready with my (phone) camera in hand!

He came home with a thick packet explaining his curriculum for the month. He'll be working hard at Crada. He reported that he really enjoyed his lunch, which he described as bulgogi, rice with seeds, kimchi (not spicy) and pho. Neither bulgogi nor pho appear on the lunch menu that he came home with, but he doesn't need to know that. (I am a bit horrified by some of the items listed on his menu. He doesn't seem bothered, so I don't let it show!) His teacher has corroborated the fact that he has enjoyed his Korean lunch, and she is not concerned about my needing to send him with a snack in case he doesn't like it (which I do anyway).

After the first day, he informed us that his teachers do not speak English, only Korean. By his third day, he was reporting the opposite. We may never have a clear idea of what's going on there! He says that everyone is very nice, but sometimes the other kids are "naughty." Oh my.

 

Can you believe that this goofy little boy-who can't smile for the camera to save his life-has started preschool? Me either. I was determined not to stress about these shots--the kid was going to what he wanted anyway. To prove how little I stressed, I will admit that I used Kennedy's camera instead of the DSLR. But, now that he's received his uniforms and new backpack, I really want to take more pictures of my little boy in his stereotypical Korean school uniform. Since I haven't even been able to get him to put it on for school yet, I'm not going to push that one for awhile! 

Cade is Going to Preschool

This week has been a bit of a roller coaster. We left Hawaii sad to say goodbye to family, vacation, summer in the States, and relaxation. We came home to Korea relieved to find our own beds, our own space, our own home. We trekked to Costco with the help of iPhone maps. We got our necessities at EMart and we even made it home again. We've been coughing so hard we throw up. We've been playing so hard, we can't stop sweating (okay, that's only the kids). All the while, our emotions have been running on high levels. Because tomorrow Cade is going to preschool.

I know. I've been worrying about this for months. I know that nearly every other mom in much of the world has dropped their child off at preschool. I know that there's nothing to worry about. I know that he will love it. But I still worry about dropping my baby off at a school that I know very little about. We had thought that he was starting school on the first. But, when we called the day before, we were informed that they were closed. For summer break. (Seems like information that they would have shared with us before, right?!) So, we've amped up for Cade to start school twice now.

The other day, I was determined to drive there. Learn something. What clothes do I send him in? Does he need supplies? Is there a calendar? (Can you believe I don't even know what days my child does/does not have school?!) Should I send him with food? What if he doesn't like the lunch provided? Are there snacks? I feel so helpless. As of a few days ago, I didn't even know how to get to his school if I had to go pick him up because he was sick. We made it (the drive home was another story). But, they were closed. Just like the woman on the phone said.

The good news is that this is all me. He will be fine. He won't know that I feel like the world's worst mom. Again. He doesn't realize that Kennedy went to a school where I knew everyone--the teachers, the other moms, the pastor. He doesn't know that I feel like he's missing out on something special. All he knows is that he gets to go to preschool. He gets to be the only person in our family to learn Korean. He gets to make new friends and meet new people. And I'm so thankful that he is excited for this adventure, because otherwise I don't think I could do it.

So tomorrow Cade is going to preschool. And I am going to be excited for him. I'm going to wait until he is gone to cry, just like I did with Kennedy. And I am not going to show up at school to check on him. I am going to trust that is the right thing for him. And I am going to pray. All day. Like I've never prayed before!

 

(Obviously, these pictures in no way relate to Cade's induction into the world of school, but he hasn't been particularly cooperative about first day of school pictures. I took these shots at my dad's house one evening when there was some really great light and a beautiful sunset. I even got into a field for the last one!)

Good news, bad news

I’ll start with the good news…I got so much done in the last two days I can’t even decide which list to start crossing things off of first! I worked for six hours both days (that’s a lot for me lately!). Yesterday I picked up the kids, and then we picked up many of the basic necessities that we need to pack for Seoul. We stocked up on deodorant, ibuprofen, socks, underwear, pajamas, and many others! We got gifts for Kennedy’s teachers (I can’t believe tomorrow is her last day of preschool! L), wrapped them, and then I cut about 200 apple slices and celery sticks for Kennedy’s snack day today (why can’t I be the mom who just brings Handi Snacks?). Today I went home before I picked up the kids and loaded the Durango with some of the big toys that we’re giving to Juli (our childcare provider) to “store” for the next couple of years. After getting home, I finished all of the laundry and was pleased to discover that everything else on my list for today, I accomplished last weekend…woohoo!

Only two pieces of bad news this week…1^st) I had just finished the last book of our required reading for PFO when I decided I should check the CD and pen drives that NICS had sent us. I found 12 documents that are all about 75 pages long that we also have to read in the next month…just when I thought I was caught up! 2^nd) I had been in communication with several different women about taking care of the kids in Korea. When the time came to set up interviews, I was only able to confirm two of them. The first one we interviewed and that was fine, and the second scheduled a time, but no-showed on Skype and hasn’t responded to my email. Very bad news…